Chapter V: The Sorting
by Squirrel Patronus
Summary: The moment of truth comes for Lily, Severus, Sirius and Wendy from the Sorting Hat! Severus, Lily, Sirius, James, Peter, Remus, Kingsley, Mary MacDonald, Avery, Mulciber, Hagrid and McGonagall as well as Hogwarts and the HP world belong to J.K. Rowling. All other characters mentioned in this story are mine.


Severus could see the glowing yellow lamps of the Hogsmead station in the distance as he sat with his nose pressed against the cool glass of the window. The window had fogged up with the steam of the people squeezed into their tiny compartment. Lily, who had changed into her Hogwarts robes, squeezed his hand in excitement. "We're almost there, Severus! This is so exciting!"

"Yes!" Severus nodded in agreement. He usually did not get outwardly emotional. Years of living in his parents' house had perfected his ability to keep a low profile and neutral demeanor. However it was impossible to suppress his feelings as he basked in Lily's exuberance. Here they were, about to embark on their path to greatness together!

"Get ready, Hogwarts, here we come!" Gary Martin bellowed. Billy Shears placed two fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle as Mary MacDonald and Harold Chin clapped and shouted.

Severus frowned. Correction. They would embark on their path to greatness once they could shake themselves free of these idiots.

"We are now pulling into Hogsmead Station!" the conductor called out. "Please leave your luggage and any pets on the train. They will be transported to Hogwarts separately."

The train slowed to a stop and the children crowded into the narrow corridor. They spilled out onto the platform in the cool night air. Severus took a deep breath. Although it was a train station, the cool night air smelled fresher and sweeter than the air in Cokeworth. Lily gave his hand another squeeze.

"Look!" she cried in amazement. Severus followed her pointing finger and stared at the immense bearded man who was carrying a large lantern. "All firs' years follow me!" he called out. The students followed him down a steep dark path.

"That's Hagrid, the groundskeeper," Severus whispered to Lily. "He is so much larger than I imagined!"

Hagrid stopped at the bottom of the path which ended near a large black lake. Several boats bobbed in the water.

"Oh, Severus, look how beautiful it is!" Lily cried.

Severus did not answer. He was speechless, as were most of the students as they caught their first sight of Hogwarts. High up on the mountain, overlooking the lake, was a many turreted castle. Pale lights glowed like yellow diamonds in the walls and towers. Severus swallowed hard. The castle was imposing and majestic, magical and wonderful. It would be his new home, his real home.

"No more'n four to a boat! No shoving-there are plen'y for all!" Hagrid called out.

Billy and Gary jumped into the nearest one, followed by Harold. Mary hesitated and looked at Lily.

"You go with them, Mary. Severus and I will ride together. I'll see you at the castle," Lily told her. She smiled at Severus. He relaxed and smiled back. Lily climbed into a nearby boat and Severus sat next to her. He opened his mouth to share all of the information that his mother had given to him about the first night, but Lily interrupted him.

"What's wrong, Severus? You acted so strangely on the train. First you were rude to that nice girl, Wendy. Then you wouldn't speak to any of the people in our compartment. You just stared out of the window for the entire trip! It made me so uncomfortable!"

She looked at him, not angrily, but for the first time she seemed to be questioning him. Severus shifted in his seat. Lily was the only other magical child whom he had met in Cokeworth. Two special children in a dark, dreary town which would never accommodate or nurture their special talents. It was she and he together, best friends, wizard and witch. They understood each other. They liked the same things. She confided in him about the things which made her happy (too many to count) and when her sister wounded her feelings. He told her about the things which he loved (very few) and also about his miserable life at home. Lily could sense his mood even when he didn't speak, and a look from her, as well as a hug and a held hand could right all of the wrongs that the world unfairly inflicted upon him. When Lily was with Severus they did not play with any other children. Lily had Muggle friends in Cokeworth, but she sensed his unease around them and did not pressure him. There was no need to associate with others. They didn't need them. He was the wise child who had grown up with a magical parent. Lily would always go to him with all of her questions about the magic world. Magic was real for them. However here they were with hundreds of other children, for whom magic was also a reality. Lily would not need him anymore. She would make other friends, just as she had befriended those loudmouths on the train.

"Look at me, Severus," Lily said. He looked up into her bright green eyes, which were tender, yet serious.

"I know what you're thinking. Severus, you are my best friend, and that will not change. However it is unfair of you to keep me from making other friends."

"Lily, I never..."

"Don't apologize, Sev. I'm not angry. I just want you to know that no matter how many friends I make here, you will always be my best friend." She smiled and he melted inside. He knew that he was her best friend, but to hear it from her lips were words that he cherished.

"Don't rock the boat!" a girl's voice cried out. Severus looked up in irritation to see Wendy Nott stepping into the boat, followed by a chubby girl with thick, wavy brown hair.

"This boat is taken!" he snapped.

"Oh, really? It's four to a boat, and I didn't see your name on this one, Severus!"

Severus leaned forward, his jaw tense, but Lily pressed her fingers firmly into his forearm. He leaned back and stared daggers at Wendy and her friend.

"It's Lily, right? This is Margaret Hodge," Wendy told them. "Margaret, this is Lily Evans and Severus Snape."

"Nice to meet you, Lily." Margaret shook hands with Lily. "You too, Severus."

Severus stared at the plump white hand. It was rare for someone to offer to shake hands with him. Maybe he hesitated too long to take it and let go of it too fast, because Margaret looked hurt, Wendy was frowning, and Lily looked embarrassed.

"So where are you from, Lily? I live near Wimbourne and Margaret is from Mould-on-the-Wold."

"I live in Cokeworth, same as Severus. He was the first magical person I met," Lily said as she smiled at him.

"He was? Does that mean you're Muggle-born?" Wendy asked, staring at Lily with deep interest. "I've never met a Muggle in my life."

"You probably never will," Severus replied tartly. "Lily isn't a Muggle, even though her parents and sister are."

"That's fascinating!" Wendy exclaimed. "I have so many questions about Muggles! I hope that you don't mind if I ask you, Lily! If I'm out of line, let me know-I don't want to be rude!"

"Just great," Severus thought. This over-excited chatterbox would be peppering Lily with all sorts of stupid questions about Muggles for the entire boat ride.

"Ah, there I go again. I'm sorry, Lily, I get carried away when I talk about things that interest me. I'll save my Muggle questions for another time." Wendy smiled widely at Lily and Severus. She had a small but noticeable gap between her front teeth. Lily grinned back at her. Severus forced out what he hoped was a smile, grateful that she had decided to shut up.

"Forward!" Hagrid shouted. The boats took off across the lake towards the castle. Margaret gave a happy squeak and Wendy laughed gleefully. Lily's tinkling laugh joined in and Severus smiled in spite of himself. The moment was short-lived.

"Faster! Faster!" a loud voice shouted. One of the boats passed theirs at a high speed, making waves in its wake and splashing water. The backwash slopped into their boat, drenching Severus and Lily, who were closer to the speeding boat.

Severus looked up in rage. Standing at the bow of the boat was the skinny boy with the wild hair and glasses. One foot was propped up and he was standing tall like the painting of George Washington that Severus had seen in the Muggle history books in the Cokeworth library. His smug expression implied that he had cast some sort of speed charm on the boat, even though they were forbidden from practicing magic at this time. The haughty boy with the long black hair was cheering him on. There were two other boys with them-a pale blond boy who was leaning back and enjoying the ride and a fat boy who was clutching the side of the boat.

"Slow down, James! I don't care if we're the first ones to reach Hogwarts! I'm going to be sick!"

"Who are they?" Margaret asked as the boat sped ahead of the others.

"Arrogant toerags, that's who they are!" Lily said indignantly.

"The boy who was urging the skinny one on is Sirius Black," Wendy replied. "I don't know the others, but if they are hanging out with Sirius they probably won't give you the time of day."

"Let's hope not," Severus muttered. He could spend years here and his life would be richer if he never met up with those wankers again. "Watch yer 'eads!" Hagrid bellowed as the boats reached the cliff. Severus and the others ducked as their boat passed through hanging ivy which concealed an opening in the cliff face. The boats passed through a tunnel and docked at a harbor inside the cave. The children climbed the stone steps to a great door.

"This is it, Lily!" Severus whispered. "They will be sorting us soon. Remember-Slytherin!"

"Yes, Slytherin!" Lily smiled at him. They turned and watched as Hagrid knocked on the door.

"Stop walking so fast, James!"

"Stop walking so slowly, Peter!"

James Potter laughed as the students made their way through the door into the entrance hall. He looked around in awed delight at the great stone wall lit by huge torches and the arching stone ceilings. His parents had regaled him with Hogwarts stories for years, but now he fully understood what they meant when they told him that the seven years spent here would be the best seven years of his life.

"All First Years follow me," a stern-faced witch ordered. That was Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress. James thought about setting off one of the small honkers that he had bought at Zonko's, then thought better of it. Professor McGonagall was all business and this was not the right time to start in with the pranks. That could wait until after the sorting.

Professor McGonagall brought all of the First Years into a small chamber off of the entrance hall. The crowd went silent.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall greeted the students. "You will be taken into the Great Hall and sorted into your Houses. Please remember that each House has a proud and noble history, and each has produced witches and wizards of renown. The other students in your House will be your friends and like your family away from home. They will be in your classes, you will share the same table at mealtime and you will take breaks with them in your House Common Room."

"While you are at Hogwarts you will earn House points for any personal triumphs. The students in your House will share in your success. However if you break any of the rules you will cause your House to lose points."

James fidgeted. Was Professor McGonagall staring at him?

"At the end of the year the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. This is a great honor that you should all aspire to achieve. The four Houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. I wish you all well in your sorting."

Professor McGonagall instructed them to wait quietly until she returned. James nudged Sirius.

"This is it!"

"Yes!" Sirius' gray eyes shone with excitement. "Are you ready, Remus?"

"I suppose," Remus replied. He was a frail boy with a sickly pallor, but his eyes were bright and he had an open smile which suggested that he was not adverse to having a little fun. "I had a weird dream about the Sorting the other night. The Sorting Hat could not figure out where I should be placed. I just sat there in the dark, waiting."

"I had that dream, too!" Peter gasped. "Except I was in my underwear and everyone was staring at me."

"What an awful dream-no one would ever want to see that!" James laughed.

The students quieted down when the door opened and Professor McGonagall motioned for them to follow her. James' excitement mounted as they entered the Great Hall. Candles floated in mid-air, illuminating the four long tables where the upper year students were sitting. The banners of the four Houses hung from the walls. At the top of the hall was a fifth table where the teachers sat. James looked up at the ceiling and marveled at the constellations. He knew that it was magic, but the starry sky looked real. He spotted the constellation Leo immediately.

"Line up, please," Professor McGonagall ordered. She placed a stool in front of them and placed a worn, battered hat on top of it.

"That was the Sorting Hat?" James was disappointed. He had been expecting a tall, proud hat decorated with stars and moons. This sad crumpled thing looked like it would be more appropriate on the head of one of the drunks he had seen staggering out of the local tavern.

The tip of the Hat suddenly stood straight up and the brim began to move like a mouth. The Hat began to sing:

iDon't judge me by appearance!/First impressions are often wrong! I am the wise old Sorting Hat/Please listen to my song!/i

iIt is my task to place you all in the Houses where you belong/Houses for the wise, the loyal, the cunning and the strong!/i

iFor those of you who are brave of heart, courageous, strong and bold/the lion of Gryffindor will lead you under banners of red and gold!/i

iCreative imaginations and those with intellect sharp and true/will soar with Ravenclaw's eagle bearing the colors bronze and blue!/i

iThose cunning, stealthy folk for whom the end justifies the mean/will proudly carry the flag of Slytherin's serpent in glorious silver and green!/i

iThose who admire the busy badger and its hard-working knack/will bear Hufflepuff's symbol proudly under the herald of yellow and black!/i

iSo step up here/Don't hesitate to place me on your head! I shall place you in the House where you will find your friends, your home, your bed!/i

The room was silent as Professor McGonagall unfurled a long scroll.

"When I call you in alphabetical order, please sit on the stool and place the Hat on your head. Abrams, Sarah!"

A girl with short dark hair slowly walked to the dais where the stool was. Her eyes were wide with fright. She was the Alpha.

James' father had told him about the Alpha and the Omega students, who were the first and last to be sorted. The superstition was that the Houses which claimed either one would enjoy a stream of luck for the year. If one House claimed both, the belief was that it would have a stream of good luck for the seven years that the Alpha and Omega were students at Hogwarts.

Sarah sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" the Hat called out. The students at the table second from the left cheered loudly as Sarah made her way towards them.

"Armstrong, Abigail!" An athletic girl with a confident stride walked up to the stool and had the Hat placed on her head.

"SLYTHERIN!" the Hat cried. James stared at her in surprise. He had thought that she would have been sorted into Gryffindor. He had no doubts about the next candidate, a shifty-eyed boy named Avery. James and Sirius made razzing noises at him as he headed over to the Slytherin table on the far right.

Soon it was Sirius' turn.

"Good luck, mate!" James said as Professor McGonagall called out "Black, Sirius!" Remus patted him on the back and Peter gave him the thumbs up as he walked up to the stool. The room seemed quieter. Sirius Black was a Slytherin legacy, but he was also a Desirable, a prized student who would bring instant prestige to the House where he was sorted.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat sang out. James gave a roaring cheer and leaped in the air. He clapped wildly with Peter and Remus and gave Sirius a congratulatory thump on the back as he passed them on his way to the Gryffindor table.

"I'll be seeing you there soon!" Sirius grinned.

"Well, you certainly wouldn't see me anywhere else!" James laughed. He watched as the Gryffindor prefects shook hands with Sirius and welcomed him to the House. James looked over at the Slytherin table. No one was smiling. The looks on the faces of the upperclassmen varied from surprise to anger and disappointment. "Good!" James thought. Slytherin didn't deserve Sirius-he was too good for them.

"Brewster, Jacob!" A few students giggled as an obese boy heaved himself on top of the stool. "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the right cheered loudly for their first new student.

"What a fat fool! He certainly is Hufflepuff material!" James turned in the direction of the scornful voice and saw a porcelain skinned girl with flowing red hair and icy blue eyes. Her two homely friends, whom James mentally termed Chubs and Twigs snickered. A short, thin girl with curly brown hair turned around and glared at them.

"Better to be placed in Hufflepuff than to be tossed out with the Squibs-which is probably where you'll end up, Joanne!" she said in a heated whisper.

James and the other students who heard the exchange laughed. Joanne looked enraged.

"You take that back, Wendoline Nott!"

"Why should I?"

A look from Professor McGonagall in their direction silenced them as "Chin, Harold!" became the second Gryffindor. The Hat sorted the students whose names began with C and D, then reached E. "Evans, Lily!" A girl with long, dark red hair walked past James and his friends. James stared. It was the same girl who had been in his compartment on the train with that weird boy. She had acted oh so haughty and offended. James thought that she was prissy. After she and her greasy friend had vacated the compartment Peter and Remus had joined Sirius and him for the rest of the trip.

The girl-Lily-did not look prissy now. She looked small and nervous. She was biting her lip as she stared out at the sea of faces. To James' amazement she was cute-no, not just cute, pretty. "GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat called out, seemingly a second after it touched her head.

"Brilliant, Lily!" James shouted as he clapped along with the Gryffindor table. Lily stopped as she made her way to the table and paused. For a moment James thought that she was going to say something to him. He realized that Lily was not looking at him. She was looking at that greasy git, Severus, who looked stricken. She gave him a sad little smile, then walked over to the Gryffindor table where she was welcomed by the prefects and upperclassmen. Sirius Black slid over on the bench to make room for her to sit. Lily recognized him as soon as she sat down. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back towards him. She began speaking animatedly to Harold Chin, who was sitting on her other side.

"Ahaha-she's giving Sirius the cold shoulder!" Remus laughed.

"Wow, she really hates him!" Peter exclaimed.

"Yeah!" James laughed. So that was how she was going to play. He could not wait to be sorted into Gryffindor!

"Hodge, Margaret!"

"Good luck, Margaret!" Wendy whispered as she gave Margaret's hand a brief, encouraging squeeze. She watched as Professor McGonagall placed the Hat on Margaret's head.

"RAVENCLAW!" Margaret beamed as she gave Wendy the thumbs-up sign and jogged over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Well done, Margaret!" Robin Wigglesworth cried out.

"Well done, indeed," Wendy thought as she watched her friend sit down at the Ravenclaw table. Half of the students had been sorted and Professor McGonagall was getting closer to her name.

Wendy's face felt hot, but her hands and feet were cold and her stomach was churning. The talk with her father kept replaying in her mind. It was Slytherin or nothing. She looked at the Slytherin table under the green and silver banner. Her older sister, Winifred, caught her eye and waved.

Wendy responded with a small wave and a weak smile. She had come to Hogwarts expecting Slytherin to be her destiny. It was the House of her parents and her sister. It was the House of Merlin. The House of ambitious people who were destined for greatness.

Wendy was ambitious, but at the moment she did not feel very great. She thought about what Professor McGonagall had said, that the people in your House would be your friends, your family away from home. She could probably be friends with Abigail Armstrong and Anthony Greengrass, who both looked friendly in a "cool kid" sort of way. However Patsy Cromwell and Donatella Mammon had also been sorted into Slytherin and she loathed them. She also didn't like the look of that Avery boy, with his cruel mouth and sinister eyes or Mulciber, who was a large, hulking brute. Maybe the Hat sang that first impressions were often wrong, but Wendy didn't trust them.

"Nelson, Melissa!" was sorted into Hufflepuff, and then it was Wendy's turn.

"Nott, Wendoline!" Wendy walked up to the stool and hooked her ankles around the legs. She gripped the seat tightly, certain that she would tumble off if she let go. The sea of faces blurred in front of her, then all went black as Professor McGonagall lowered the Hat onto her head.

"Well, here is a very sharp mind," a voice said. "You have a great love of learning and are always eager to explore and experience new ideas. You are also ambitious. You strive to achieve great things, but you do not seek fame and glory for their own sake-you truly want to make your mark for your own personal achievement. I don't think that Slytherin would be right for you. You have the ambition and intelligence but your goals are different. You also wear your heart on your sleeve-no cunning or stealth here at all."

Wendy stopped breathing and clutched the stool tighter.

"You have a brilliant mind, but you also have a mighty heart. You want to see that justice is done and you could be a great champion of those who are too weak and timid to stand up for themselves. You would find many like-minded people in Gryffindor."

"However I see that you are a person who thinks over a situation and considers her options before taking action. A very sensible approach to take. A philosophy worthy of RAVENCLAW!"

The last word echoed loudly throughout the Great Hall. Wendy took off the Hat and placed it back on the stool. She no longer had butterflies in her stomach. Her head still felt light, but not due to anxiety. She felt elated and free. She ran over to the Ravenclaw table where she was warmly welcomed by prefects Kingsley Shacklebolt and Persephone Underhill. Margaret embraced her tightly.

"Oh, Wendy, I am so happy that we are in the same House!"

"So am I!" Wendy sat down between Margaret and Sarah Abrams. A gentle tap on the shoulder made her turn around, where she was greeted by the emerald green eyes of Lily Evans, who was seated at the Gryffindor table behind her.

"Congratulations, Wendy!" she said. Her pretty face was pink with happiness and excitement.

"Thanks, Lily! Congratulations to you, too!"

"Nice one, Wendy," Sirius Black said. "I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who'll be receiving a Howler from my parents."

Was he being funny or sarcastic? Both? Wendy frowned at him then turned back to watch the remaining students get sorted.

"Siddiqui, Mahmoud!" The Great Hall was silent as Mahmoud had the Hat placed on his head. Where would he be sorted? He was a pure-blood of royal lineage, certainly destined for greatness and undoubtedly noble and chivalrous.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"The Hell!" Wendy heard a Gryffindor upperclassman shout out behind her. She paid no attention to that, nor did she care about the stunned disappointment on the faces at the Slytherin table. She and Margaret were up on their feet, jumping up and down and loudly cheering with the other excited Ravenclaws. The most Desirable First Year would be in their House! Mahmoud shook hands with the prefects and sat down with the other First Year Ravenclaw boys, across from Wendy. He smiled at her and Margaret.

"Robin was right. The Sorting Hat certainly does know where the students will best be placed!"

"Snape, Severus!" Wendy looked up as Severus loped over to the stool.

"SLYTHERIN!" The Hat called out after it was placed on his head. Severus shuffled over to the cheering Slytherin table, where the tall blond prefect clapped him on the back in welcome. He sat down next to Avery and Mulciber.

"Ha! We all called that one right!" Wendy heard Sirius Black remark.

"Stern, Suzanne!" A beautiful girl with long black hair walked up to the stool, but shrank slightly as Professor McGonagall lowered the hat onto her head. An outburst of snorts and giggles from the Gryffindor table made Wendy turn around.

"She doesn't want to have the Hat put on her head after it touched his!" A slight blond boy laughed. What was his name? Remy? He had been one of the boys riding in the speedy boat with Sirius Black.

"Can you blame her? He probably has lice!" a fat boy sitting next to him chortled. He had also been in the boat.

"No, he doesn't have lice. His hair is so greasy all of the nits would slide out!" Sirius Black cried.

The skinny boy with the glasses and unruly black hair who was sitting next to Sirius stood up and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Hey, Snivellus! Why don't you earn your House some extra points by offering to grease the frying pans in the kitchen with your hair!"

Several of the Gryffindors laughed, as did some of the Ravenclaws. Wendy remembered her mother's admonition to be kind to Severus. That probably included standing up for him. The remarks were funny in a way, but there was no mistaking the cruel intentions. Wendy opened her mouth, but Lily Evans stood up before she could say anything. Her green eyes were blazing as she pointed her index finger at the bespectacled boy.

"You aren't funny, James Potter, and neither are your friends!"

"Ah, lighten up, Evans!" James looked bemused and intrigued at the same time, if that was at all possible. Lily gave him and his friends a hateful look before turning her back on them and looking towards the dais where the last student was being sorted.

"Look, Margaret! Robin is the Omega!"

Robin Wigglesworth sat perfectly still with the Hat on his head. A full minute seemed to go by before the Hat announced its decision.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"We did it!" Kingsley Shacklebolt roared. "We have the Alpha and the Omega! Seven years of good luck for Ravenclaw!" A dazed Robin received a hero's welcome. He shook hands with all of his fellow First Years and blushed crimson when Sarah Abrams, the Alpha, put her arm around him and announced "If I am the beginning, here is our happy ending!"

"Good show, Robin!" Wendy exclaimed as he sat down next to Mahmoud. She reached over and patted his hand as Margaret gave him a double thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Wendy! That was so strange," Robin said. He still looked slightly bewildered.

"Who cares-you're where you belong! Where we belong!" Wendy stared up at the banner with the bronze eagle against the blue. She felt completely at home with her new family.


End file.
